SCIENCE AND ART OF FEEDING. 135 



tbe best foods for this fattening process are those rich in the 

 protein substances. 



An example of this may be given: 



A lot of sheep were fed at one of the German experiment 

 stations. They were divided into four groups, and each lot 

 were fed differently as to the proportion of the protein. The 

 first lot were fed a ration made up of 0.220 parts of protein, 

 1.648 parts of carbo-hydrates, the total food thus being 

 equivalent to 1.868 Ibs. daily of food actually digested. The 

 nutritive ratio that is the proportion of the protein to the 

 carbo-hydrates was 1 of the former to T 1 /^ of the latter. 

 The actual increase in \veight of this lot was a little less 

 than two ounces daily. The dressed weight of the carcass 

 was 48 per cent of the live weight. The last lot of the four 

 were fed a ration of 0.384 of protein, with 1.538 of carbo-hy- 

 drates, the total food being equal to 1.922 Ibs. daily. The nu- 

 tritive ratio was 1 of protein to 4 of the carbo-hydrates. The 

 increase in weight of this lot was a little over three ounces 

 a day, and the proportion of dressed weight was 55 per cent 

 of the live weight. 



This experiment was fully corroborated by several others 

 having similar results. The Canadian farmers and shep- 

 herds use peas extensively in fattening sheep, as well as pigs. 

 Indeed it is the main feed for this use. No other sheep 

 farmers in the world make better results in feeding than 

 these, and the English sheep feeders following this rule, 

 feed largely of beans, equally rich in protein. And no better 

 feeders of mutton or growers of wool exist. Thus science 

 and practice confirm each other, as is always the case when 

 facts are in question. 



Every well informed shepherd is fully cognizant of what 

 the French have done in regard to their fine Merinos, what- 

 ever sub-name they may go by Rambouillet, Delaines, or 

 Black-Tops and how they have more than doubled the car- 

 cass weight, and the weight of the fleece at the same time, 

 lessening the waste of yolk and grease in the wool. And we 

 all know what our own breeders have done with the old 

 Spanish Merino. These invaluable results are simply the 

 effects of feeding first and last; of course the breeding has 

 concentrated these results in the best selected sheep, and this 

 has made the improvement permanent by inherited tendency. 



